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This foolproof vanilla chia seed pudding recipe is a nutrient-packed meal or snack. The pudding takes all of 5 minutes to prep and produces a delicious chia seed pudding that lasts for up to 5 days in the fridge!
Chia seed pudding is weird and awesome.
In case you’re not familiar with the trendy superfood, let’s talk chia facts for a second. These unprocessed seeds, which come from a desert plant grown in Mexico, have been around for thousands of years and were a staple in the diet of the ancient Mayans and Aztecs. Aztec soldiers used to crush chia on the reg to boost energy, and the seeds were thought to have magical powers based on their ability to increase stamina over long periods of time. (I want to make so many inappropriate jokes here, but I’ll restrain myself.)
While chia seeds aren’t actually “magic,” they are pretty damn close, and there are lots of reasons to fiesta with these bad boys. First of all, chia is considered a “superfood” because it delivers the maximum amount of nutrients with minimal calories. The seeds are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fabulous antioxidants that protect your body against free radicals, prevent cancer, and fight aging. Chia also contains significantly more protein than other whole grains, and it has a ridiculously high fiber content. Two tablespoons of chia seeds contain 11 grams of fiber (40% of your daily value!), which will keep you feeling full and satisfied while improving digestion and regulating blood sugar. Fist bump.
Most importantly, chia seeds are the best plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids on the planet. Omega-3s are glorious, and because they are not made in our bodies, we need to get them from our diet. These fatty acids help build new cells, reduce inflammation, regulate physiological functions, and prevent heart disease and diabetes. They also reduce depression levels (be happier!), improve cognitive function (be smarter!), and promote healthy skin, hair and nails (be prettier!). Hallelujah.
Now that we’ve covered the basic nutritional aspects, let’s talk about the coolest and weirdest element of these funky little seeds. Chia seeds can absorb up to ten times their own weight in liquid. So, when you put the seeds in water, milk, etc., they expand and take on a gel-like quality. After just a few hours of soaking, the seeds swell up and start to look like tiny little alien eggs. Sorry, I’m aware that is a very unappetizing description, but you know I like to keep it real around these parts.
Anyhoo, the gelling capability of chia seeds is ideal for making “pudding,” which is all the healthy rage right now. I’ve been sprinkling chia on my yogurt in the morning, adding it to granola and salads, and blending it in smoothies for a while, but I didn’t take the pudding plunge until this past weekend. After many experimental bowls of alien eggs in my fridge, I finally came up with a Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding that I was happy with.
This simple pudding is nothing more than chia seeds, unsweetened almond milk, pure vanilla extract, maple syrup and a pinch of salt. It’s vegan/gluten-free/paleo and has all of the bomb nutritional elements that I just told you about, making it an unbelievably healthy breakfast, dessert or snack.
I’m not going to sit here and claim that this pudding is the best thing in the world or that it’s my favorite breakfast because it’s not, and I’d rather eat this. That said, it is pretty delightful once you get used to the somewhat strange texture. Some people liken chia seed pudding to tapioca, but I hate tapioca, so I prefer not to use that comparison. All I can say is that after the first weird bite, it really grows on you, and it’s surprisingly satisfying/fun to eat. I promise.
This version of chia seed pudding is vanilla-tinged and ever so slightly sweet, which makes it the perfect base for a variety of toppings. Go wild with the toppings, friends, especially if you’re new to the whole chia seed pudding thing, as they will ease the transition. Obviously, you can top your pudding with whatever floats your boat, but the following combinations are guaranteed winners: (a) Mango, Toasted Coconut and Dark Chocolate, (b) Blood Orange and Pistachios (c) Fresh Berries, Lemon Zest and Maple Syrup.
How long does chia pudding last?
If you’re feeling skeptical about this recipe, I get it. I figured most of you would be. But please, don’t knock it ’til you try it, peeps. The pudding takes all of 5 minutes to prep, and then you just let the seeds do their thing overnight. Magic. The chia seed pudding will keep for about 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Whip up a batch on Sunday, and you’ll be on track to a happier, smarter and prettier you by Friday! Get on board.
I forgot to mention that Beyoncé eats chia seed pudding. I probably should have led with that…
Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding: (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons raw chia seeds
2 cups unsweetened almond milk (You can also use coconut, soy, or regular milk)
(*For a thicker pudding, replace 1 cup of almond milk with 1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt or non-dairy yogurt of your choice)
1¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons good quality maple syrup
Pinch of kosher salt
Suggested Toppings: (These are combinations that I like, but feel free to mix and match and get creative!)
Blood orange segments and pistachios
Mixed berries and lemon zest
Diced mango, toasted coconut, and dark chocolate shavings
Sliced Bananas with cinnamon
Blueberries, toasted almonds and maple syrup
Granola and dried fruit
How to Make Chia Seed Pudding:
-Place the chia seeds in a medium bowl.
-Add the yogurt, almond milk, vanilla, maple syrup and a pinch of kosher salt. Whisk to combine.
-Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, stirring occasionally. I recommend letting the pudding rest in the refrigerate overnight, but 4 hours will do if you’re feeling antsy.
-Before serving, stir the pudding to make sure that there aren’t any clumps.
-Spoon pudding into bowls or glasses.
-Garnish with toppings of your choice.
Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons raw chia seeds
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk, You can also use coconut, soy, or regular milk
- *For a thicker pudding, replace 1 cup of almond milk with 1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt or non-dairy yogurt of your choice
- 1¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons good quality maple syrup
- Pinch of kosher salt
Suggested Toppings: (These are combinations that I like, but feel free to mix and match and get creative!)
- Blood orange segments and pistachios
- Mixed berries and lemon zest
- Diced mango, toasted coconut, and dark chocolate shavings
- Sliced Bananas with cinnamon
- Blueberries, toasted almonds and maple syrup
- Granola
- Dried Fruit
Instructions
- Place the chia seeds in a medium bowl. Add the yogurt, almond milk, vanilla, maple syrup and a pinch of kosher salt. Whisk to combine.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, stirring occasionally. I recommend letting the pudding rest in the refrigerate overnight, but 4 hours will do if you’re feeling antsy.
- Before serving, stir the pudding to make sure that there aren’t any clumps. Spoon pudding into bowls or glasses and garnish with toppings of your choice.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
More Chia Seed Pudding Recipes to Try:
Chocolate Covered Banana Chia Seed Pudding
I found this recipe when I was looking for gluten-free, dairy-free breakfast ideas. I made this last night and I couldn’t wait until the morning to taste it. Yumm-o! I LOVED the texture! Only substitution I made was I used agave instead of maple syrup. Divine! Love your blog! Can’t wait to try the avocado toast with spicy maple bacon and scrambled eggs on my fun day.
Chia has always been amazing to me, and I have always loved a good chia seed recipe. I’m fasting as a Muslim in the holy month of Ramadan (no food or water from 3 am – 7:15 pm) and am dying to dive into my batch chilling in the fridge. Just an hour left…
My mother makes this amazing bubble tea-like drink called ‘tukhm malanga rooh afza’, Urdu for chia seeds in rooh afza. You might be familiar to rooh afza; it is a sweet red-tinted rose syrup and is mixed in water or milk. My mother makes a jug of it and adds about three cups of soaked chia. My sister loves the stuff and downs a jug and a half every day :).
Anyway, thanks for the amazing recipe!
Ii made it using 2% milk 1 cup and fat free yogurt 1 cup chia seeds 1/4 cup 2 tablespoons 2 tablespoon s maple . A pox 1 cup blue berries a pox 356 cal per 1/2 cu]
Looks amazing! Can it be heated up after refrigeration (would it affect the almond milk)?
Thanks, Baha! I wouldn’t heat it up. It’s meant to be eaten cold, and the heat will break down the milk/pudding consistency.
I prepared this for breakfast today! I used half milk, half Greek yogurt, and it came out nice and thick. I mixed chopped strawberries into it and it’s divine 🙂
Emily, that looks delicious! So glad it was a success.
I’ve been loving my chia breakfast for several months. For those who are not strictly paleo or vegan, I think it’s fantastic mixed with rolled oats (they soften along with the chia seeds and don’t need to be cooked) and soaked with whole milk. Rather than mixing in a bowl, I just toss the seeds and oats in a canning jar, shake to combine, then fill with my liquid of choice and shake vigorously a few times. With the oats mixed in it only takes a few shakes for the seeds to “set” and then I can just leave it in the fridge overnight for a perfect no-cook oatmeal/pudding.
I also love mixing in pistachios, almond slivers, or raw coconut flakes, but my hubby doesn’t like nuts in his puddings. Any suggestions for how to add the extra flavors without disturbing the texture? Not sure if I want to get a blender involved.
Love that you’ve been into chia pudding for so long. I’m a big fan of mixing oats into my chia pudding as well, and the canning jar trick makes things so much easier! As far as adding extra flavoring without upsetting the texture, I would suggest adding extracts. A little almond or coconut extract goes a long way!
Do you have nutritional info for your recipes?
Unfortunately, I don’t have the nutritional information for my recipes. But I find this nutrition calculator to be very helpful! http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php You can simply cut and paste the recipe into the box.
Thank you very much!!!
IMO the liquid ratio is off on this recipe – need less liquid to make it truly puddingey. That said it tasted good so I just ended up sticking a straw in it and treating it like bubble tea (but better). I’m excited for this new use for chia!
I’m glad you tried this! So, traditional chia pudding is a pretty runny (it’s pudding-esque, but definitely not like a “real” pudding). However, you should try doing half almond milk and half yogurt (if you’re vegan, you can use almond or soy yogurt!) for a thicker pudding!
I made this for the first time today, LOVE it! I just used the chia seeds soaked over night in unsweetened almond milk, vanilla and blueberries, fantastic. I did not use sweetener as I find blueberries added just the right sweetness for my taste. I would compare the texture to tapioca, and I love tapioca! What a healthy alternative!
Thank you!! I love the idea of soaking the seeds with fruit in them (and lowering the sugar content by eliminating sweetener)! I need to experiment with that ASAP.
This was surprisingly good. I say surprisingly because my first, & only, experience with gelatinous chia seeds left something to be desired. I went with 1/2 ff greek yogurt & 1/2 almond milk, & I think this really made the difference. It’s as if the greek yogurt toned down the slimy-ness of the chia…either that or I didn’t notice it as much because I knew what I was getting into this time round. Either way, thumbs up! I just chucked on a 1/2 of a banana coz that’s what I had on hand, but this would be a great base for so many things.
So happy to hear this!! I always recommend the 1/2 yogurt-1/2 milk situation to first time chia pudding eaters, precisely because of the sliminess you described.
Serena, can I ask you what camera and lens you used for this? It looks fantastic! Did you have a light set-up or were you using natural light? Love the pudding by the way! 🙂
Hi Amy, I used a Canon EOS Rebel T2i with an 18-55mm lens. I don’t have a light set up, so I use natural light for all my photos, which then usually require a little bit of editing in Lightroom (depending on how much light I can coax through my living room window)!